BEC Study Group – Q2 2018 - Page 13

Viewing 15 replies - 181 through 195 (of 254 total)
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  • #1815919
    PDiddy2000
    Participant

    @Nikki374 Darn!! I was hoping you would say that I only needed to know the current ratio? LOL!! BEC is starting to be a big pain.

    #1815931
    tbizzle
    Participant

    Hello! The last time I sat for CPA exams was 2014. Does anyone have recommendations on how much time to spend on each section of the exam i.e. MCQ1 – 45 min. MCQ2 – 45min. TBS – 105 min. WC 45 min.?

    Cheers!
    T

    ———————————–
    FAR 68 (2012)
    AUD 48 (2012), 61 (2014)
    REG 53 (2012)
    BEC 74 (2012), 68 (2013), 67 (2014)

    #1815990
    Nikki374
    Participant

    @pdiddy, 😂😂😂 that is my favorite ratio

    #1816392
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @PDiddy2000 – Pounding MCQs helps me remember the formulas better as opposed to forcing myself to memorize them, but I did write down all the BEC formulas presented in Becker just to see if I have them down for the first time. It looks like the only formulas I have trouble remember is the ones I don't frequently encounter in MCQs.

    #1817382
    PDiddy2000
    Participant

    @Big4 maybe I'll do that too. I'm going to start pounding MCQs Sunday or Monday depending on how quickly I get through the IT section. Thanks!

    #1819690
    Lauren G
    Participant

    Does anybody have a good way to remember the variance formulas. I have been trying to put together mnemonic and I am stuck!

    Thanks!

    #1820327
    Kev
    Participant

    Lauren G – PURE SAD DADS

    I found this on here last week, like a day before I took the exam. Saved me on at least 4 questions. The below is copied from the original post but I did not copy the original author's name.

    P = Price variance
    U = Usage variance
    R = Rate variance
    E = Efficiency variance

    Standard less Actual = Difference (SAD)

    For the SAD mnemonic a positive difference is good and a negative difference is bad (ie standard price is greater than actual means you saved money, hence a positive number is a good variance).

    DA = Difference times Actual
    DS = Difference times Standard

    You line up the PURE and DADS/DADS nmemonics together as such:

    P=DA
    U=DS
    R=DA
    E=DS

    For each one you are going to do the SAD mnemonic for the item you are working on and multiply it by either the Actual or Standard (DA vs DS to figure out which).

    Price Variance: [Standard Price less Actual Price = Difference] Take that Difference and multiply it by the Actual Usage (P=D x A)

    Usage Variance = [Standard Usage less Actual Usage = Difference] Take that Difference and multiply it by the Standard Price (U = D x S)

    The P & U are the material variances

    Rate Variance = [Standard Rate less Actual Rate = Difference] Take that Difference and multiply it by the Actual Efficiency (R = D x A)

    Efficiency Variance = [Standard Efficiency less Actual Efficiency = Difference] Take that Difference and multiply it by the Standard Rate

    The R & E are the labor variances.

    When you line the above up you get:

    P = DA
    U = DS
    R = DA
    E = DS

    #1820461
    Nikki374
    Participant

    I pray that everyone who is taking BEC this week passes! 25 more days until score release. 🙂

    #1820579
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hoping someone can help to answer this question:

    I am studying using Becker and I emailed them for a response to this question but haven't received anything yet and I take BEC Wednesday. I was going through some of my “problem modules” and came across two questions that I think are the same but they have different answers both are in B3 M5

    1. The imputed interest rate used in the residual income approach for performance management and evaluation can best be described as: the answer here is historical WACC for the company

    2. The optimal imputed interest rate used in the residual income approach to performance evaluation can best be described as the: the answer here is target return on investment set by the company management

    Maybe I am missing some small detail here but I don't see a difference in the questions, any help would be appreciated while I wait for a response from Becker!

    #1820719
    Kev
    Participant

    Why can't they both be true, if “target return on investment” in the second question is WACC? Wouldn't management want to set the target rate at WACC? Whatever residual income is, if greater than 0, would be profits that exceed the required rate of return. Or am I missing something?

    #1820800
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    One of the options on the second question was also WACC so that's part of the reason I'm confused. I don't what the “better” answer is as the CPA tends to do that often.

    #1820819
    asadkahloon
    Participant

    Gleim has the below Question and Corresponding answer.

    The imputed interest rate used in the residual income approach to performance evaluation can best be described as the

    A. Average lending rate for the year being evaluated.
    B. Historical weighted-average cost of capital for the company.
    C. Target return on investment set by the company’s management.
    D. Average return on investments for the company over the last several years.

    Answer (C) is correct. (CMA, adapted) REQUIRED: The true statement about the imputed interest rate used in the residual income approach to performance evaluation. DISCUSSION: Residual income is a significant refinement of the return on investment concept because it forces business unit managers to consider the opportunity cost of capital. The rate used is sometimes a target return set by management but is often equal to the weighted average cost of capital. Some entities prefer to measure managerial performance in terms of the amount of residual income rather than the percentage ROI because the firm will benefit from expansion as long as residual income is earned. Answer (A) is incorrect. The cost of equity capital also must be incorporated into the imputed interest rate. Answer (B) is incorrect. The current weighted-average cost of capital must be used. Answer (D) is incorrect. The rate should be based on cost of capital, not investment returns of preceding years

    #1820882
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Progress Update:

    Got a 67 on the first Becker mock exam haha. Been averaging 90's on these progress tests, but the first mock exam destroyed me. Going to hit the weak areas and come back and take 2 more mock exams and see how I do.

    #1820992
    asadkahloon
    Participant

    @Big4,

    What kinds of questions did you have issues with on the Mock Exam? I thought about taking the Becker one this morning but didn't since Im still averaging very low on Financial Management Questions. Pretty sure it would just discourage me further.

    #1821035
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @kahloon – mostly from B2-B4 stuff. I did fine on MCQs – it's just that the way Becker grades the SIMs is so messed up (i.e. if you get one of the boxes on Column B incorrect, you get the corresponding box on Column A incorrect even if you have the correct answer).

    Also, I just don't see the actual exam asking obscure/overly complex computational MCQs that require you to go through multiple steps to just get the answer.

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